Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for reporting CO2 emissions for new cars and vans in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Grant Shapps: The Road Vehicle Emission Performance Standards (Cars and Vans) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 were made on 11 March 2019 and will ensure a UK-only system will operate in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Bus Services: Disability

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish an update on the commitment in the Inclusive Transport Strategy to develop a monitoring and enforcement framework for mandatory bus driver disability awareness training by 2018.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Transport publishes annual bus statistics which include an assessment of the proportion of operators requiring relevant staff to undertake disability awareness training consistent with relevant legislation. The most recent release indicated that 98% of staff worked for bus operators that mandated this training. The Department continues to engage with industry and regulators to ensure a proportionate approach to enforcement is followed.

Crossrail Line

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has made to the Mayor of London on the date for the opening of Crossrail.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Transport has regular discussions with Transport for London and Crossrail Limited regarding the Crossrail project. On 25 April 2019, the Crossrail Limited Board announced that it had completed a new plan to complete the outstanding works and bring the Elizabeth Line into passenger service at the earliest possible date. As many risks and uncertainties remain in the development and testing of the train and signalling systems, Crossrail Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London, has identified a six-month delivery window with a midpoint at the end of 2020.

Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the planned expansion of Heathrow does not contribute to an increase in air pollution.

Grant Shapps: In regards to air quality, following designation of the Airports National Policy Statement, it is now down to an applicant for development consent to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of its scheme, including during construction, and put forward an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance. In order to grant development consent, I would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations. Separately, my Department will also be working to speed up the research, development and adoption of low and zero carbon aviation technology.

Taxis: Assistance Animals

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for conducting and publishing research on why taxi and PHV drivers continue to refuse to transport assistance dogs.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for carrying out and publishing a consultation on revised best practice guidance to support local licensing authorities to use their powers more effectively when dealing with Taxi and PHV drivers refusing to transport assistance dogs.

Grant Shapps: It is unlawful for Taxi and PHV drivers to refuse to carry passengers accompanied by assistance dogs and it is unacceptable that a minority continue to discriminate in this way. The Government’s response to the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV licensing committed to introduce legislation when time allows to require drivers to complete disability awareness training as part of national minimum standards. The eventual requirement and supporting guidance will be informed by public consultation and appropriate research.

Shipping: Security

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what parts of the Government’s plan for getting an exemption from maritime security notifications in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Grant Shapps: Earlier this year my officials progressed a Statutory Instrument through Parliament which ensures that the UK’s existing regulatory regime for ship and port security will continue to function effectively after EU Exit. The Statutory Instrument will enter into force on the day on which the UK leaves the EU. This Statutory Instrument includes provisions which enable the Government to continue to issue pre-arrival notification (PAN) exemptions to operators of vessels travelling on scheduled services from the EU into the UK after our withdrawal from the EU, even in a no deal scenario. Vessels travelling from the UK into the EU following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will need to provide the necessary pre-arrival security information for scheduled routes. Government has communicated widely with operators and has provided advice to them about the change. This was done in the form of a technical notice which can be found here;https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/getting-an-exemption-from-maritime-security-notifications-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/getting-an-exemption-from-maritime-security-notifications-if-theres-no-brexit-deal.

Merchant Shipping: Certification

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what parts of the Government’s plan for recognition of seafarer certificates of competency in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Grant Shapps: The Government has taken forward the actions identified in the notice on seafarer certificates published in September 2018. We have introduced the Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The regulations correct deficiencies in domestic legislation that would otherwise have existed as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This enables continued recognition of seafarer qualifications from EU and EEA countries. Before the original date of 29 March for UK’s departure from the EU, the Government lobbied Member States to initiate the process of recognising UK certificates following the well-established EU process for recognising certificates from third countries.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding the Government plans to allocate to the modernisation of the UK steel industry.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department commissioned independent research to identify high value opportunities for UK steel, worth up to £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We have made clear to the sector that we are keen to work with them to support their future investment proposals to secure these future opportunities as part of a steel sector deal. We stand ready to work with the sector as soon as their proposals are ready. In addition to this, we have been encouraging the UK steel sector to submit competitive proposals for UKRI funds, including Transforming Foundation Industries, and work with us to shape future funding programmes, such as the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, to further improve their efficiency and competitiveness.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Working Hours

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much time off in lieu has been taken by staff in his Department in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: This information is not held centrally.BEIS is committed to maintaining working hours for all workers that comply with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR). The provisions of the WTR are incorporated into BEIS's terms, conditions and policies. Our Working Time policy is published on our intranet and accessible to all staff.Line Managers are responsible for ensuring that staff are aware of the hours they are required to work and the arrangements for taking appropriate breaks so that working time is complied with. Managers are also responsible for monitoring the working hours of their staff. Any time off in lieu taken because of excess hours worked is agreed at a local level between an employee and their line manager.BEIS operates a variety of flexible working approaches where, subject to the needs of their team and the business, individuals can agree working hours/patterns with their manager which enable them to maintain their work/life balance.BEIS follows the Civil Service Wellbeing Strategy - ensuring the good health and wellbeing of our staff is a priority for us. We have a range of support in place for our employees which includes the delivery of an ongoing programme of in-house health and wellbeing events and access to employee assistance programmes. BEIS promotes good mental health for all and has trained in-house Mental Health First Aiders. We have also delivered a tranche of “Wellbeing Confident Leadership” training to around 69% of our Senior Civil Servants to enable them to create a working environment which recognises the importance of individual wellbeing and how this might be affected by working patterns and practices.

Waste Heat Recovery

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 274430 and with reference to the Building Research Establishment document quoted, for what reason that methodology of selecting information referred to in para 2.2 and page 5 has been used and what the timetable is for publishing the full review that his Department is commissioning on that methodology.

Kwasi Kwarteng: This paragraph refers to a method of averaging data over time rather than selecting information. This method has been used by the Buildings Research Establishment where raw test data cannot be used directly in its methodology for assessing Flue Gas Heat Recovery Systems. This is because the raw data would create anomalous fluctuations in the temperature gradient due to measurement uncertainty in the individual readings. This approach will be considered as part of the review. The Department is in the process of procuring a third-party organisation to carry out the review. Our aim is to have the review completed around the turn of the year. However, this is subject to the detailed requirements identified by the reviewing organisation, such as the extent of laboratory testing required. Manufacturers will be informed of the outcome of the review when it concludes.

Waste Heat Recovery

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) a different or (b) an amended method of assessing the performance of Canetis GasSaver compared with other flue gas heat recovery technology has been used.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The entry for this product in the Product Characteristics Database (PCDB) is based on amendments to the standard methodology, which have been used on a provisional basis. The Department is commissioning a full review of the methodology for assessing Flue Gas Heat Recovery Systems. This is intended to confirm which amendments, if any, are necessary to ensure the methodology can accurately assess all such systems.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Ethnic Groups

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many BAME staff are employed at (a) grade 7, (b) grade 5 and (c) grade 3 in his Department.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has 118 employees declared BAME at grade 7; 8 employees who have declared BAME at Grade 5 and; 2 employees who have declared BAME at Grade 3. Note that personal characteristics are voluntary declarations and only 54% of BEIS employees have declared their ethnicity.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2019 to Question 271325, for what reasons his Department does not offer a payroll deduction service to enable employees to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not currently have the facility to allow staff to join a credit union through payroll deductions. Staff can still make arrangements to contribute to a credit union via direct debit. The Department is aware that other public sector organisations offer this facility. The Department is looking to continually develop the offer to staff in terms of financial wellbeing, and acknowledge that this could be an option in the future. If the Department were to pursue this option, then a full and fair procurement exercise would be carried out in line with central guidance.

Fireworks: Sales

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a timescale for the information gathering exercise on the public sale of fireworks.

Kelly Tolhurst: The work to develop a full evidence base is an ongoing exercise which is not time limited. To develop the evidence base officials have reviewed existing literature, research and data sources and are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including the RSPCA and the British Fireworks Association. As work has progressed, information gaps have become clear, requiring further investigation and consideration. The evidence base will also consider the findings of the House of Commons Petitions Committee inquiry on fireworks and the Scottish Government consultation on fireworks. The intention is that the work will inform current and future policy in this area and identify trends across fireworks seasons.

Service Industries

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by his Department, what parts of the plan for providing services including those of a qualified professional in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Nadhim Zahawi: If the UK leaves the EU without a deal the requirements for how professional qualifications will be recognised and services will be regulated will change. The guidance on providing services including those of a qualified professional if there's no Brexit deal sets the future arrangements for how these areas will work in a ‘no deal scenario’. The Statutory Instruments referenced in this guidance have now been made:1) The Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.2) The Provision of Services (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. This, along with other sector-specific legislation, means that recognition decisions awarded to EEA and Swiss professionals before exit day will be protected, and a new system for recognition of professional qualifications will come into force on exit day in a no deal scenario, giving certainty to professionals, business and public services. In respect of the provision of services, the amending legislation ensures that we will be compliant with the UK’s services commitments under WTO rules in a ‘no deal’.

Climate Change

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for meeting climate change requirements in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kwasi Kwarteng: As part of the UK government’s climate change preparations for a no deal scenario: The Government has prepared to maintain GHG emissions Monitoring, Reporting and Verification arrangements by laying two EU Exit Statutory Instruments (SIs) in Parliament which amend the GHG Emissions Trading Scheme regulations and related EU legislation which would be carried over into UK law by the Withdrawal Act.A Carbon Emissions Tax was established through the Finance Act 2019, which will commence from 4 November in the event the UK leaves the EU ETS under a No Deal scenario.We laid an SI on 8 March 2019 to fix legislative deficiencies in domestic law for Eco -design and Energy Labelling, and we will be laying a further SI to account for regulations that have come into force since 29 March.A UK energy label generator was made available on GOV.UK on 4 April 2019 to enable UK-only suppliers to generate compliant energy labels in the event that the EU label generator becomes inaccessible following the UK’s exit

Nuclear Power: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for civil nuclear regulation in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government has implemented all necessary parts of its plan for civil nuclear regulation to ensure that it is ready in the event that the UK leaves the EU and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) without a deal. The UK has put in place all legislative measures required in order to allow the civil nuclear industry to continue to operate with certainty and to enable the UK to meet its international obligations. It has also established a new domestic nuclear safeguards regime to be run by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and concluded all international agreements required for civil nuclear trade to continue. Detailed information on the Government’s preparedness can be found in BEIS’ Quarterly Updates to Parliament on Euratom Exit. The latest update can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/euratom-exit-quarterly-update-january-to-march-2019.

Fossil Fuels

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, what parts of the Government’s plan for running an oil or gas business in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Pipe-lines, Petroleum, Electricity Works and Oil Stocking (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 were laid before Parliament in December 2018 and will enter into force following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The Regulations will ensure that the relevant regulatory regimes for oil and gas licensing, environmental protection and oil stocking remain effective and appropriate post-EU exit. They will not result in any additional burdens on industry as they will simply fix ‘post-exit’ deficiencies within a suite of existing legislation. The existing UK Compulsory Oil Stocking regime will continue to operate in the event of a no deal, but the EU obligations within this system will cease to apply. Several bilateral agreements are in place with other EU Member States to help ensure that the system continues to be flexible and robust. The Department engages regularly with the oil and gas sector on EU exit issues.

Natural Gas: UK Trade with EU

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, what parts of the Government’s plan for trading gas with the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has been working with Ofgem, the system operator and wider industry on a significant programme of work to ensure the UK will be ready for EU Exit in all scenarios, including in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal. This includes amending legislation and taking regulatory decisions for cross-border gas trading. The mechanisms of cross-border trade are not expected to fundamentally change.

Electricity: UK Trade with EU

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, what parts of the Government’s plan for trading electricity in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has been working with Ofgem, Utility Regulator, and the system operators and wider industry on a significant programme of work to ensure the UK will be ready for EU Exit in all scenarios, including in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal. This includes a process of amending legislation and taking regulatory decisions to ensure existing measures in the UK electricity system are in place to deliver continuity of supply and new trading arrangements are in place for the electricity interconnectors at the point of EU exit.

Rural Community Energy Fund: Elmet and Rothwell

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether community centres and memorial halls in Elmet and Rothwell constituency are eligible to apply to the rural community energy fund; and what the application process is.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Rural Community Energy Fund is being run by five regional Local Energy Hubs, established as part of the BEIS Local Energy Programme. Elmet and Rothwell is covered by the North East Yorkshire and Humber Energy Hub. The fund is open to all communities defined as rural, this is any community with less than 10,000 residents. The Local Energy Hub can help to determine the eligibility of communities in Elmet and Rothwell. The fund accepts applications from the following legal entities which represent rural communities:Community Interest Company (CIC)Co-operativeCommunity Benefit Society (Bencom)Registered Social LandlordCharitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)Development TrustRegistered society (pre 2014 IPS)Parish councilFaith Group Please find out more about how to apply and how to contact the Local Energy Hubs here

Wind Power

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will assess the potential contribution that (a) replacing and (b) repowering old onshore wind turbines would make to meeting the Government's net zero carbon emissions target.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Renewable technologies are essential to meet the 2050 net zero emissions commitment. Meeting this will require a diverse and efficient energy system. We keep under review the potential contribution from different renewable generation technologies, including where existing generation assets are reaching the end of their lifetime.

Lighting: Housing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the average savings accrued to households of using LED instead of conventional lightbulbs.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Each LED bulb will save a household around £55 over its 15 year lifetime. This consists of £43 in reduced energy consumption and £12 in reduced replacement costs (given LED bulbs last around 7.5 times longer than traditional halogen bulbs). Our analysis suggests that there are approximately 35 bulbs in an average household, so savings will be around £125 per year.

Renewable Energy

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government has taken to ensure diversity of renewable energy sources as part of its goal to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has made significant progress in decarbonising the electricity sector. Around a third (33%) of the electricity generated in 2018 came from renewables, up from 29.3% in 2017. Support provided to renewables through a range of policies such as the Renewables Obligation, the Feed-in Tariff, and Contracts for Difference has resulted in a diverse mix of renewable technologies. This includes wind, solar, hydro, bioenergy and more. In order to meet our net-zero ambitions, we will continue to support the roll out of new renewables generation. We announced last year our intention to hold CfD allocation rounds around every 2 years which could see 1-2 gigawatts of new offshore wind every year in the 2020s.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mongolia: Embassies

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Steppe Inn at the British Embassy in Ulaanbaatar to promote UK soft power.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Steppe Inne is a well-known institution at the British Embassy in Ulaanbaatar and has hosted Embassy contacts, Mongolian and British alike, for more than 30 years. With the forthcoming move to new Embassy premises, the Steppe Inne will close but plans are being developed to arrange Steppe Inne nights at an alternative venue in Ulaanbaatar. The Steppe Inne has played a role in UK soft power but is part of a much wider Embassy effort to promote British interests in Mongolia.

Horn of Africa: EU Immigration

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which components of Better Migration Management programs under the Khartoum Process have been suspended; and if there are any projects remaining which involve the Sudan Interior Ministry.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​All Better Migration Management Programme activities involving the Sudanese authorities have been suspended since March. There are no projects remaining that involve the Sudanese Ministry of Interior.

Somalia: Military Intervention

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterparts on (a) the accuracy of its reporting of civilian casualties due to US drone strikes and (b) the lasting effect of US drone strikes on civilian populations in Somalia.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Secretary of State will build on the work of his predecessor and continue to have regular engagement with his US counterpart on counter-terrorism activities. We have not sought to make an independent assessment of the accuracy or impact of US strikes in Somalia; this would be challenging, given the difficult security environment. The main cause of civilian casualties in Somalia is the insurgency and indiscriminate terrorist activity of Al-Shabaab. Support from the US and others to the Federal Government of Somalia's efforts to counter terrorism is critical to limiting Al-Shabaab's capability to inflict harm.

Ahmed Mansoor

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Emirati counterpart on the prison conditions of the Emirati prisoner of conscience Ahmed Mansoor.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The case of Ahmed Mansoor was previously raised by our officials with senior Emirati officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The UK urges all countries to comply with their human rights obligations. Our close relationship with the UAE allows us to discuss important issues such as human rights and where the UK has cause for concern, we raise these concerns at official and Ministerial level.​

Commonwealth: Females

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government will be represented at the 12th Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers meeting in Kenya in September 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Her Majesty’s Government will be represented at the 12th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting, which is an important meeting in the run up to the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda. We look forward to exploring how the Commonwealth can continue to work together to promote gender equality and ensure the empowerment of women and girls.

Sudan: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sudanese counterpart on engagement between the Sudanese population and the diaspora community in the UK.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The British Government frequently engages with a broad range of Sudanese diaspora in the UK. While the former Foreign Secretary has not recently spoken to his Sudanese counterpart about engagement between the Sudanese population and the diaspora community in the UK the UK Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan discussed engagement with the diaspora with the Sudanese authorities when he was in Khartoum on 23 June. He last met with members of the diaspora on 13 June. The Government is committed to working with all Sudanese parties and members of civil society both in Sudan and the UK to support the transition to a civilian-led government.

Hong Kong: Police

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the integrity of the Hong Kong police service.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We have made no such assessment. UK law enforcement agencies maintain regular engagement with the Hong Kong Police Force in the course of information exchange and joint investigations of serious and organised crime – as they do with counterparts throughout the world. All cooperation with overseas partners – including those in Hong Kong – is conducted under the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) risk management system.

Hong Kong: Demonstrations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterpart in Hong Kong on potential collaboration between Hong Kong police and organised crime groups in response to recent protests.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The violence we have seen in Hong Kong is unacceptable. We should not speculate on the identity of violent groups until a thorough investigation has taken place. We welcome Carrie Lam’s statement on 22 July saying she has asked the Commissioner of Police to investigate the incident at Yuen Long MTR station fully and pursue the lawbreakers.We also note the announcement of a special inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Council into recent events in Hong Kong. We look forward to the publication of further details about the scope and composition of the investigation.

Iran: Tankers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on the illegal seizure of the Stena lmpero.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Stena Impero was seized illegally, and the Iranians should release it and its crew immediately. On 20 July, the former Foreign Secretary spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and summoned the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to make this demand. We have been clear that we do not seek confrontation with Iran, and that we will continue working hard to resolve the situation through diplomatic means.

Oman: Detainees

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will meet with representatives of the Shuhuh 6 to discuss the human rights situation in Oman.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to verify assurances given by the Government of Oman that (a) there is no discrimination against the Shuhuh 6 and (b) the arrest of the Shuhuh 6 was conducted with respect for human rights.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Ministers of his Department have seen the Amnesty International statement of 22 May 2019 entitled, Oman: Life Sentence for Prisoner of Conscious on the imprisonment of Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahi.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will support the call by Amnesty International for the Government of Oman to unconditionally release (a) Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahi and (b) other prisoners of conscience in that country.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Officials in London met a UK-based Non-Governmental Organisation to listen to their concerns about the Shihuh and Oman on 15 July. I have also raised this issue with the Omani authorities, as has our Ambassador in Muscat. We are aware that human rights authorities in Oman have responded directly to Amnesty International with a detailed reply regarding one of their reports. Omani authorities have given us the strongest assurances that the individuals concerned were given full legal assistance and treated in accordance with Oman’s constitution and international laws and conventions. There is no evidence of discrimination against the Shihuh more generally, many of whom occupy senior positions in the Omani state and wider society. We continue to monitor developments closely.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the provision of emergency medical to Syrian civilians in Idlib.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​British aid continues to support the provision of emergency medical aid in Idlib, where DFID partners are working to support health facilities and establish mobile emergency protection teams. In addition, the UK has announced an additional £32 million aid package to meet emergency humanitarian needs in Idlib and the surrounding areas.We have also made clear, including at four emergency sessions of the UN Security Council, that attacks on hospitals and other civilian infrastructure are inexcusable. We call on all parties to distinguish between civilians and civilian infrastructure, and military targets.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) male adults, (b) female adults, (c) male children and (d) female children were diagnosed with a mental illness in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information is not available in the format requested.

Department for Education

Pupils: Literacy

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle the fall in the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading at Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards and ensuring all children can read fluently and with understanding.Ofsted’s inspection framework, published in May 2019, puts a greater focus on how well schools are teaching their pupils to read: inspectors listen to children reading aloud, watch phonics classes and check how schools help weaker readers to improve.In addition, the Department have launched a £26.3 million English Hubs Programme. The Department has appointed 34 primary schools across England as English Hubs, who are taking a leading role in supporting nearly 3000 schools to improve their teaching of reading through systematic synthetic phonics, early language development, and reading for pleasure. This network of schools will work to increase reading standards across the country and to improve educational outcomes for the most disadvantaged children, particularly in underperforming schools.

Pupils: Literacy

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will increase the time available for pupils sitting the Key Stage 2 reading assessment to reflect the increase in the number of words included in that test since 2014.

Nick Gibb: A new curriculum was introduced in 2014. Tests reflecting that curriculum were introduced in 2016. Since then the time allowed for the Key Stage 2 reading assessment has not changed. The test framework for the English reading test places a limit on the number of words that can be included in the texts and this limit has not been breached.Assessments go through a rigorous test development process lasting three years. Thorough trialling of the materials, with the texts in the combinations they will appear in a final test, allows test developers to ensure the reading booklets are suitable and that the standard is maintained.

Protest: Students

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on collecting data on students missing school to take part in climate change protests.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally. The Department collects data on school absence, which includes authorised and unauthorised absence data, but does not include whether the absence is due to attending climate change protests. Our most recently published data on pupil absence can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england-2017-to-2018. Schools are required to take the attendance register each morning and afternoon. They must record whether each pupil is: present; absent; attending an approved educational activity; or unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances. Where a pupil is absent, it is for the school to decide whether the absence should be authorised or not.

Schools: Carbon Emissions

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2019 to Question 277289 on guidance to schools in reducing their carbon footprint, how his Department plans to translate the results of the Condition Data Collection into developing future priorities for investment.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2019 to Question 277289 on guidance to schools in reducing their carbon footprint, whether his Department has agreed a timescale over which to develop future priorities for investment.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2019 to Question 277289 on guidance to schools in reducing their carbon footprint, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Good Estate Management website in providing guidance on how individual institutions can become more environmentally-friendly.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2019 to Question 277289 on guidance to schools in reducing their carbon footprint what steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools are aware of the guidance on the Good Estate Management website.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2019 to Question 277289 on guidance to schools in reducing their carbon footprint, how his Department plans to ensure loans for development of cleaner technology are available to all institutions that need them.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2019 to Question 277289 on guidance to schools in reducing their carbon footprint, what the timescale is for the introduction of loans to develop cleaner technology in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection, which is due to complete school visits in autumn 2019, will provide a high-level assessment of the make-up and condition of state-funded schools in England. Analysis of this data will help inform policy development, including delivering energy efficient new schools and supporting the existing estate to reduce its energy demand. The Department will look carefully at capital funding in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review, along with all our priorities for the education system.The Department published the 'Good estate management for schools' (GEMS) guidance in April 2018 after extensive consultation with schools and building professionals. The guidance sets out the policies, processes and documents that schools, academies and multi-academy trusts need to consider when managing their estates.This includes a section on ‘Energy and water management’, and tips on reducing energy and water use in schools. It also signposts schools to other organisations that provide training, information and support in relation to sustainability and energy efficiency in schools. The Department plans to update the guidance in response to feedback received, including updates to the energy and water management sections.Officials regularly present and promote the GEMS guidance at national and regional educational events. The Department also works closely with stakeholders to promote and raise awareness of the GEMS guidance.Funding for clean technologies is available through Salix Finance Limited funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Education. Applicants to the Condition Improvement Fund can apply for energy efficiency interest-free Salix loans for condition improvement works that will lead to annual energy savings.

Ministry of Justice

Sentencing

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average sentence length in months was for people who pleaded guilty and received an immediate custodial sentence for (a) violence against the person (b) theft, (c) drug offences, (d) robbery, (e) common assault and battery, (f) burglary in a dwelling, (g) production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class A, (h) possession of article with blade or point and (i) assaulting, resisting or obstructing a constable or designated officer and who had (i) no, (ii) between one and four, (iii) between five and nine, (iv) between 10 and 15, (v) between 16 and 25, (vi) between 26 and 50, (vii) between 51 and 75, (viii) between 76 and 100 and (ix) 101 or more previous convictions in each of last 10 years.

Lucy Frazer: Information on the average sentence length for offenders with a specified number of previous convictions for any offence who pleaded guilty to and received an immediate custodial sentence for a specified offence, covering the period 2009 – 2018, can be viewed in the attached table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 18.61 KB)

Prison Officers: Recruitment

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many additional prison officers have been recruited since 31 March 2017; and how many of those posts were funded by the additional funding allocated by the Treasury at that time; and what additional funding the Treasury has allocated for the recruitment of prison offices since 31 March 2019.

Lucy Frazer: The number of new officers appointed to work in public sector prisons and youth custody establishments between 1 April 2017 and the 31 March 2019 is published in the Quarterly Workforce Statistics for HM Prison and Probation Service at table 8a -https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-march-2019 Additional funding of £106m was announced by the Secretary of State on 3 November 2016, for an additional 2,500 prison officer posts, which have now been filled. With growth, the £100m equates to £112m for the 2019/20 financial year, £97m of which is for public sector prisons. Our recruitment drive continues to replace turnover in officer numbers and meet required staffing levels across the prison estate. We constantly monitor the need for further funding.

Prison Officers: Pay

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the mean average salary for a Band 3-5 prison officer in each year from 2010.

Lucy Frazer: The requested figures are available for years going back to 2013 and are presented below. In 2012 HM Prison Service introduced modernised pay and grading arrangements. A number of staff recruited prior to this continue to be employed on legacy pay and grading arrangements. Two sets of figures are therefore presented. Those for modernised terms are influenced by staff turnover and position within pay range much more so than for legacy terms (for which all staff are now at pay range maximum). 2013201420152016201720182019Modernised Terms£19,784£26,272£24,527£24,804£25,179£24,531£24,989Legacy Terms£28,493£28,708£29,336£29,560£29,536£29,896£30,468 Figures for legacy arrangements are for a contractual 39 hour working week. Figures for modernised arrangements are for a contractual 37 hour week (although Band 3 Prison Officers can opt to work additional hours). All figures are based on the national rate of pay and include a premium for required unsocial hours working. There are additional uplifts for the Outer and Inner London Zones (typically £4,250 and £3,100 for legacy arrangements and £2,659 and £4,046 for modernised arrangements). While not reflected in the figures presented, HMMPS has recently announced for a second year in a row above inflation pay rises of over 2%. These increase are expected to be paid (and backdated to April) in the Autumn. On top of that, we have made further pledges to recruit and retain prison officers and managers, helping to make our prisons safer and reduce reoffending.

Prison Officers: Pay

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the mean average salary for a band 3-5 prison officer with less than one year's experience in each year from 2010.

Lucy Frazer: The requested figures are available for years going back to 2013 and are presented below. Figures are for a contractual 37 hour week (although Band 3 Prison Officers can opt to work additional hours). Direct recruitment to Bands 4 and 5 is relatively rare. Those with less than one year’s experience are therefore almost always Band 3 Prison Officers. 2013201420152016201720182019£18,720£18,860£19,049£20,545£21,121£21,836£22,265 All figures are based on the national rate of pay and include a premium for required unsocial hours working. There are additional uplifts for the Outer and Inner London Zones (typically £4,250 and £3,100 for legacy arrangements and £2,659 and £4,046 for modernised arrangements. While not reflected in the figures presented, HMMPS has recently announced for a second year in a row above inflation pay rises of over 2%. These increase are expected to be paid (and backdated to April) in the Autumn. On top of that, we have made further pledges to recruit and retain prison officers and managers, helping to make our prisons safer and reduce reoffending.

Prison Officers: Pay

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the mean average salary for a band 2 prison officer in each year from 2010.

Lucy Frazer: Operational prison service staff in Band 2 are not prison officers but Operational Support Grades (OSGs). The requested figures are available for years going back to 2013 and are presented below. In 2012 HM Prison Service introduced modernised pay and grading arrangements. A number of staff recruited prior to this continue to be employed on legacy pay and grading arrangements. Two sets of figures are therefore presented. 2013201420152016201720182019Modernised Terms£16,795£17,337£17,251£18,186£18,571£19,115£19,463Legacy Terms£18,284£18,511£18,865£18,905£19,938£19,343£19,730  Figures for legacy arrangements are for a contractual 39 hour working week. Figures for modernised arrangements are for a contractual 37 hour week All figures are based on the national rate of pay and include a premium for required unsocial hours working. There are additional uplifts for the Outer and Inner London Zones (typically £4,250 and £3,100 for legacy arrangements and £2,659 and £4,046 for modernised arrangements). While not reflected in the figures presented, HMMPS has recently announced for a second year in a row above inflation pay rises of over 2%. These increase are expected to be paid (and backdated to April) in the Autumn. On top of that, we have made further pledges to recruit and retain prison officers and managers, helping to make our prisons safer and reduce reoffending.

Prison Officers: Pay

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the mean average salary for a band 2 prison officer with less than one year's experience in each year from 2010.

Lucy Frazer: Operational prison service staff in Band 2 are not prison officers but Operational Support Grades (OSGs). The requested figures are available for years going back to 2013 and are presented below. Figures are for a contractual 37 hour week. 2013201420152016201720182019£16,076£16,216£16,379£17,386£17,561£18,358£18,726 All figures are based on the national rate of pay and include a premium for required unsocial hours working. There are additional uplifts for the Outer and Inner London Zones (typically £4,250 and £3,100 for legacy arrangements and £2,659 and £4,046 for modernised arrangements. While not reflected in the figures presented, HMMPS has recently announced for a second year in a row above inflation pay rises of over 2%. These increase are expected to be paid (and backdated to April) in the Autumn. On top of that, we have made further pledges to recruit and retain prison officers and managers, helping to make our prisons safer and reduce reoffending.

Assaults On Police: Convictions

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of assaulting a police officer in each police force area in each year since 2007; how many received a sentence other than an immediate custodial sentence; and what the average sentence was received by those who received a custodial sentence.

Lucy Frazer: The number of people who were (i) convicted, (ii) received a sentence other than an immediate custodial sentence and (iii) data on the average custodial sentence length for those who received a sentence by Police Force area for assault on a police constable in each year since 2007, can be found in the accompanying tables. Please note that police force areas provide breakdowns of where offences where dealt with (not where they were committed).



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 35.56 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Waste Management: Finance

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support his Department provides to local authorities for investment in waste and recycling facilities.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has provided local government with over £200 billion for this spending period and while councils make their own spending decisions, we would expect councils to prioritise what they do to deliver what their residents want to see and to invest in waste and recycling facilities as necessary to ensure good waste management practice. The Government is also investing around £3 billion of grant funding in 24 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) waste infrastructure projects. These grants support infrastructure including material recovery, mechanical biological treatment and anaerobic digestion facilities, as well as implementing and expanding kerbside recycling services.

Food: Waste Disposal

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of the introduction of separate food waste collections throughout England.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In the supporting impact assessment to our consultation on consistency in recycling, we modelled three scenarios on how that policy could be delivered, all including separate food waste collection. In the preferred option of that impact assessment (option 3, which for local authorities includes weekly separate food waste, free garden waste, weekly dry multi-stream recycling and fortnightly residual waste collections) the overall cost to the public purse is estimated to be just under £260 million a year between 2023-2035. This comprises: local authority initial costs and subsequent savings; lost revenue to the Exchequer from local authority and business waste diverted away from landfill; lost garden waste income to local authorities; and policy costs to Government in supporting waste collection changes to municipal business. The full impact assessment is available from the following link: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environmental-quality/consultation-on-consistency-in-household-and-busin/supporting_documents/recycleconsistencyconsultia.pdf We will refine our analysis based on consultation feedback and engagement with the sector.

Landfill: Methane

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has made available to waste disposal authorities for the prevention of methane emissions from closed landfill sites.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: No funding has been made available by the Department to disposal authorities for the prevention of methane emissions from closed landfill sites.

Fly-tipping: Fines

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much revenue has been raised from fines for fly-tipping in the last five years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Over the last five years fines totalling £3,332,214 have been levied by the courts in England on offenders convicted of fly-tipping offences prosecuted by local authorities. Further detailed data about fly-tipping, including fines, in England is publicly available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england.

Nappies

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support was available to re-useable nappy schemes in each year since 2005.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Department does not hold this information.

Food: Waste Disposal

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on volumes of food waste collected in the event of local authorities introducing food waste collections separate to other waste collections.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Our analysis shows that if all local authorities provide at least kerbside properties (as opposed to flats) with a separate food waste collection service, this would increase the amount of food waste collected by 1.35 million tonnes by 2029.

Environment Protection: UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on ensuring the UK Shared Prosperity Fund contributes to the achievement of the goals set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The previous Secretary of State had regular discussions on a range of issues with those ministers. Officials are working closely together on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to ensure it supports a range of Government priorities.

LIFE Environment Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which parts of the Government’s plan for Funding for UK LIFE projects in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, the Government has guaranteed the EU LIFE Programme funding due to UK organisations, in line with the technical notice published on this issue. We have well developed contingency plans to implement this guarantee, if required. More information on the technical notices published by the Government on the guarantee and the funds covered by it can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-for-uk-life-projects-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/funding-for-uk-life-projects-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

Mining: Seas and Oceans

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effect on and (b) risks to the environment of deep sea mining; and if he will make it his policy to pursue a moratorium.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra is investigating the risks and environmental effects of deep sea mining through a cross Government working group including Cefas, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The working group is supported by input from the National Oceanography Centre, Natural History Museum and British Geological Survey who are involved in a number of ongoing academic projects considering the impacts of deep sea mining. In addition, FCO and Defra commissioned a workshop in February 2019 which brought together UK universities, industry and consultancies involved in the assessment of deep sea mining activities, to share information, progress and research findings. The outputs of these discussions are being used to inform the UK’s input into the development of regulations, standards and guidelines at the International Seabed Authority. The UK is pushing for transparent, science-based and environmentally sound regulation of seabed mining by the International Seabed Authority to ensure effective protections of deep sea habitats and biodiversity while allowing UK businesses to realise the commercial opportunities. We are using our influence to secure the adoption of a mining code in 2020 that provides for robust and accountable oversight of mining activity. This includes (i) enshrining the precautionary principle and an ecosystem approach in the mining code; (ii) ensuring that in addition to the core regulations, effective and binding standards and guidelines to ensure environmentally sound mining have been adopted before exploitation licences are granted, and that these reflect the different environmental and other features of the different mineral deposits; (iii) ensuring that Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs) with robust environmental objectives are established before exploitation licences can be granted and that there is a clear regulatory link between the REMPs and exploitation licences; and (iv) allowing for the suspension of mining activities when operators fail to adhere to environmental safeguards or where new evidence of risk of serious harm arises.

Seabed: Mining

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence given by his Department’s Chief Scientist Professor Gideon Henderson to the Environmental Audit Committee on 16 October 2018, what the implications are for his policies of the statement that deep sea mining will do substantial damage to that local environment on the seabed, and that is pretty much unavoidable; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK is pushing for transparent, science-based and environmentally sound regulation of seabed mining by the International Seabed Authority to ensure effective protections of deep sea habitats and biodiversity while allowing UK businesses to realise the commercial opportunities. We are using our influence to secure the adoption of a mining code in 2020 that provides for robust and accountable oversight of mining activity. This includes (i) enshrining the precautionary principle and an ecosystem approach in the mining code; (ii) ensuring that in addition to the core regulations, effective and binding standards and guidelines to ensure environmentally sound mining have been adopted before exploitation licences are granted, and that these reflect the different environmental and other features of the different mineral deposits; (iii) ensuring that Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs) with robust environmental objectives are established before exploitation licences can be granted and that there is a clear regulatory link between the REMPs and exploitation licences; and (iv) allowing for the suspension of mining activities when operators fail to adhere to environmental safeguards or where new evidence of risk of serious harm arises.

Plastics: Seas and Oceans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of plastic straws on trends in levels of the ocean plastic pollution.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: A public consultation on proposals to ban the distribution and/or sale of plastic straws, plastic-stemmed cotton buds and plastic drink stirrers in England was held between October and December 2018. A consultation stage impact assessment was conducted, which considered levels of plastic straws polluting beaches and the ocean. It can be found online on the Government’s website: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/plastic-straws-stirrers-and-buds/. Following this consultation, we will be introducing a ban on the supply of single-use plastic straws (with exemptions), plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds to the end user in April 2020. A final impact assessment will be produced in due course.

Mercury

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for control on mercury in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: All aspects of the plan for control of mercury in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented. The following regulations are now in place to ensure that the EU Mercury regulation will continues to operate:The Control of Mercury (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019The Environment and Wildlife (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019The UK’s enforcing authorities will continue to control the movement and use of mercury, in line with legislation and our commitments under the Minamata Convention.

Chemicals: Pollution Control

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for control on persistent organic pollutants in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK no deal regulations will be in place to ensure continuity with the EU persistent organic pollutants (POPs) regulations. The UK’s enforcing authorities will continue to implement the Stockholm Convention, regulating the production, placing on the market and use of POPs. It will also regulate stockpiles and manage waste where POPs are present.

Industry: Pollution Control

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for industrial emissions standards in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Through the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 and subsequent secondary legislation, the Industrial Emissions Directive and the Medium Combustion Plant Directive will continue to have effect, including the existing Best Available Technique Conclusions.

Fly-tipping

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of fly-tipping incidents that were categorised as car boot sized in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England in each year since 2010.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of fly-tipping incidents that contained household waste in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England in each year since 2010.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The proportion of fly tipping incidents reported by local authorities and published in annual statistics on a financial year basis, that are categorised as car boot sized is summarised in the table below. The detailed breakdown is only available from 2011/12. YearBarnsleySouth Yorkshire*All England2011/129%49%32%2012/1311%40%29%2013/149%34%29%2014/1518%29%29%2015/1625%36%29%2016/1735%32%27%2017/1827%21%27% *Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england The main ‘household’ categories for fly tipping waste include ‘black bag – household’ and ‘other household waste’, which could include the results of house or shed clearances, old furniture, carpets and the waste from small scale DIY works. There are also separate categories for white goods, electrical items and green waste which may originate from household or commercial sources. It is not possible to distinguish the original source. Incidents for these are much lower than the other two household categories so for this purpose the figures below do relate just to ‘black bags – household’ and ‘other household’ incidents. The proportion of fly tipping incidents reported by local authorities and published in annual statistics on a financial year basis, that contain household waste for these two main categories is summarised in the table below. The detailed breakdown is only available from 2012/13.  YearBarnsleySouth Yorkshire*All England2012/1371%80%67%2013/1466%76%66%2014/1566%67%66%2015/1678%72%67%2016/1777%69%67%2017/1870%62%66% Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of (a) household and (b) commercial waste taken to household waste recycling centres of local authorities introducing paid permits for vans to access those centres.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We have not made an assessment of the effect that introducing paid permits for vans to access household waste and recycling centres has had on the level of (a) household and (b) commercial waste. Permit arrangements at household waste and recycling centres are a matter for local authority decision making.

Water Supply

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to ensure the adequacy of water supplies during heatwaves.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to protect future water supplies against potential disruption caused by climate change.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Water companies have a statutory duty to provide clean and reliable water to customers under the Water Industry Act 1991, whatever the weather. To fulfil this duty there is a statutory requirement to maintain water resources management plans, which balance water supply and demand at least twenty-five years into the future.The Government, the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat issued guidance to water companies in 2016 on how they should be planning to supply water to a growing population, while protecting and enhancing our environment, including taking appropriate action to respond to climate projections. Water companies are currently revising their plans.The Government is working closely with other water regulators and the water industry to improve the resilience of water supplies. The Government recognises continued action is required and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’, of reducing demand for water and increasing supply in parallel.The Government is taking steps to improve water resources planning to ensure that there is better collaboration between water companies and other water using sectors on their water supply resilience. This includes the EA developing a National Framework for water resources, which use evidence to illustrate the regional and national challenge of water availability. The Government has also consulted on legislative improvements to ensure that water companies’ plans are informed by effective collaboration.Water companies have statutory drought plans in place to mitigate the impacts of prolonged dry weather and drought. Water companies are prepared for spikes in demand during high temperatures and manage their water resources to prevent impacts on customer supplies.

Rodents: Gough Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to tackle the mice infestation on Gough island.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund the Government has committed £2.1m towards the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which led the Gough Island Restoration Programme to eradicate non-native mice to save the critically endangered Tristan albatross and Gough bunting, and to help to maintain Gough Island’s status as a World Heritage Site. The final stage of the eradication project is planned to take place in 2020.

Plastics: Seas and Oceans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the percentage of marine plastic pollution originating from the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: It is difficult to meaningfully estimate the proportion of plastic waste in the world’s ocean that originates from the UK.

Plastics: Waste

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the percentage of the UK's plastic waste made up of straws.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We do not hold this data and we do not have a basis to make a robust estimate.

Home Office

Radicalism

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the findings of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s report, The Great Replacement: the violent consequences of mainstreamed extremism, published in July 2019 on the great replacement conspiracy theory.

Victoria Atkins: As the Home Secretary made clear in his speech on 19 July, the Government remains committed to tackling all forms of extremism, including Right-Wing Extremism. We draw on a range of sources to understand the extremism threat, including from the Home Office Extremism Analysis Unit and from reports by organisations such as the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.In 2020 we will publish a new Counter Extremism Strategy setting out a comprehensive new approach to tackling all forms of extremism.

Cybercrime: Small Businesses

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help protect small and medium-sized businesses against cyber-crime.

Brandon Lewis: The Government takes the threat of cyber crime against small and medium-sized businesses very seriously. This is why the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was established to provide a single, central authority on cyber security at the national level. The NCSC has created the small business guide to help small businesses protect themselves from the most common cyber attacks.The Government continues to invest in the law enforcement response to cyber crime, over £200 million since 2010. This includes investment in the Protect network so in all 43 force areas there is someone dedicated to helping businesses and individuals protect themselves from cyber crime. The network is coordinated by Law Enforcement at the national level, working with NCSC, to ensure their advice is based on the latest understanding of the threat.Through the Government’s Cyber Aware programme we have also provided the public and small businesses with the latest advice on how to take simple steps that will protect them and their personal information from cyber crime.

Common Travel Area

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what parts of the Government’s plan for travelling in the Common Travel Area in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Seema Kennedy: In the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there will be no practical changes to the UK’s approach to immigration on journeys within the CTA. As now there will be no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK; with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Northern Ireland – Ireland land border.Further information is set out in the UK Government publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/travelling-in-the-common-travel-area-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/travelling-within-the-common-travel-area-and-the-associated-rights-of-british-and-irish-citizens-if-there-is-no-brexit-deal

Department for Exiting the European Union

Consumer Goods: Imports

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government has taken to mitigate the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the supply of products listed in the consumer price inflation basket of goods.

James Duddridge: The UK will be leaving the EU on the 31 October - whatever the circumstances.We would, of course, prefer to leave with a deal. However, if it is not possible to reach a deal we will have to leave with no deal. We are now turbocharging all our necessary preparations to do so. In the event of no deal, the Government will prioritise the flow of goods at the border. We will continue to take a risk-based approach to controls and checks on goods at the border, minimising additional friction to protect flow. Over the longer term, the Government will look to enhance border systems and processes.Extensive engagement activity continues with businesses, traders and across the border industry. The Government will look to step up engagement with key Member States, such as the French, to ensure the best possible preparation to ensure the continued flow of both outbound and inbound goods.

Business: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when will companies know which (a) regulator will be overseeing their business and (b) which rules will they will need to follow from the day after the UK leaves the EU; and whether the Government plans to charge businesses for the creation of new regulatory agencies in the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

James Duddridge: We must leave the EU on October 31 whatever the circumstances. To do otherwise would cause a catastrophic loss of confidence in our political system. We still wish to leave with a deal if we can and hope the EU will negotiate accordingly.No decision has been reached on our future relationship with the EU's agencies and bodies after we have left. We are considering very carefully a range of options. In most cases we anticipate that repatriated EU functions can be absorbed by existing UK departments and existing public bodies. The EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will preserve the laws that we have made to implement our EU obligations and convert EU law which applies directly to the UK before exit. It will ensure that there is a functioning statute book on day one of exit providing certainty for business in a no deal scenario.Prior to any decisions on establishing new UK-level bodies, the Government always looks to minimise disruption and costs, which includes considering alternative options, such as the use of existing public bodies.

Business: Civil Proceedings

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the means of (a) resolution and (b) redress will be for a UK company in dispute with an EU company in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

James Duddridge: The UK will be leaving the EU on the 31 October - whatever the circumstances. We would, of course, prefer to leave with a deal and we will work in an energetic and determined way to get that better deal. But if that is not possible we will have to leave with no deal, and we are turbocharging our all necessary preparations to do so.In a no deal scenario, UK businesses will continue to be able to seek dispute resolution and redress through national courts, including those of Member States where they have jurisdiction. The route of redress and dispute resolution will depend on the particular facts of the case. Courts will continue to process relevant cases in line with their normal management of business, and relevant legislation.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Investment

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what development outcomes his Department has set for the aid-funded Investment Promotion Programme.

Conor Burns: The Investment Promotion Programme (IPP) is intended to deliver the following outcomes in selected countries: Sustainable job creation in decent work as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)Development of vital skills and technology transfer, leading to gains in productivityImprovements in infrastructure and business integrity, leading to spillover effects across the economy. In the long term these outcomes are expected to increase incomes and improve living standards for local populations, including women. The IPP is currently in design and inception phase, more details of anticipated outcomes will be published in the Final Business Case.

Overseas Investment: Public Private Partnerships

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what analysis his Department conducted on the effectiveness of public private partnerships before it rolled out the Investment Promotion Programme.

Conor Burns: The Department for International Trade (DIT) carried out extensive research of the evidence on the effectiveness of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as part of the appraisal of the programme. This included evidence from the World Economic Forum, the World Bank and the International Financial Corporation (IFC) that showed that PPPs can produce effective development outcomes and offer value for money. DIT analysts will be producing internal analysis on all pillars of the programme which will be published as part of the Final Business Case.

Department for International Trade: Ethnic Groups

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many BAME staff are employed at (a) grade 7, (b) grade 5 and (c) grade 3 in his Department.

Conor Burns: The following table shows the number of staff in the Department for International Trade (DIT) (including UK Export Finance) who have self-reported as BAME on departmental systems, as at 30 June 2019. GradeNumber of staff who have self-reported as BAME (30 June 2019)Grade 781Grade 5 (SCS1)15Grade 3 (SCS2)Fewer than 5  As ethnic minority staff remain underrepresented at senior levels across the Civil Service, ambitious targets were set in June 2018 to increase the flow of ethnic minority civil servants into the SCS. By 2025, we aim for 13.2% of new SCS starters to be from an ethnic minority background across the Civil Service. In DIT, 24% of new SCS starters since April 2017 are BAME.

Trade Remedies Authority: Finance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of his Department's budget is allocated to the Trade Remedies Authority.

Conor Burns: The following figures relate to the operational budget of the Trade Remedies Investigation Directorate (TRID): - For the year 2018/2019 TRID had a budget £7.3m which equated to 1.7% of the Department’s overall budget. - For the year 2019/2020 TRID has a budget of £11.9m which equates to 2.3% of the Department’s overall budget Please note that any costs relating to occupancy and IT infrastructure are provided by centralised services and the Department does not operate an internal charging regime to reallocate these costs to the business units.

Renewable Energy: Developing Countries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of UK Export Finance spend was on renewable projects in developing economies in each of the last three years.

Conor Burns: UK Export Finance (UKEF)’s mission is to ensure no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, while operating at no net cost to the taxpayer. UKEF helps UK companies win export contracts by providing attractive financing terms to their buyers, fulfil contracts by supporting working capital loans, and get paid by insuring against buyer default. For this reason, this response has interpreted the request for the proportion of UKEF spend as the proportion of UKEF support, that being the share of total maximum liability UKEF provided for exports relating to renewables in low and middle-income countries in each of the last three years.UKEF classifies countries as per the World Bank classification system, where countries are divided into four income categories – low, lower-middle, upper-middle and high-income. For this reason, the response has interpreted ‘developing economies’ to include countries with either a low, lower-middle and upper-middle income classification. The share of support UK Export Finance (UKEF) provided for exports relating to renewables in low and middle-income countries can be found in the table. FYShare of maximum liability which went to renewables projects in low and middle-income countries, %2018-19.66%2017-18.04%2016-170% UKEF publishes details of the support it provides in its Annual Report and Accounts.

Trade Promotion: Australasia

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when he plans to start the external recruitment for the new role of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Australasia.

Conor Burns: Further details on timings and the process to recruit for this important role will be made available in due course.

Trade Promotion: Australasia

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, at what civil service grade the post of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Australasia will be.

Conor Burns: Her Britannic Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Australasia will be SCS Pay Band 2, in line with the other nine HM Trade Commissioners.

Trade Promotion: Australasia

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the post of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Australasia will be combined with another post.

Conor Burns: We are still determining the full remit and responsibilities of Her Britannic Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Australasia.

Board of Trade

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, where the next meeting of the Board of Trade will take place.

Conor Burns: The next, and eighth, meeting of the Board of Trade will take place in the South of England. It will bring together businesses from across the Southern region to celebrate their contribution to UK trade and investment.

Department for International Trade: Overseas Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much Official Development Assistance funding his Department is providing to (a) Nigeria, (b) South Africa, (c) Kenya, (d) Ethiopia, (e) Colombia, (f) Peru, (g) Indonesia and (h) Bangladesh; and (i) for what purpose and (ii) under which programme is that funding being provided.

Conor Burns: DIT has no active ODA funded programming in the countries listed. As part of the design of the Investment Promotion Programme (IPP), DIT plans to spend ODA in Nigeria, South Africa and Peru. These countries were selected as they scored highly on development needs and opportunities. To date, no ODA has been provided to these countries as the programme has recently started. Details on country spend from IPP will be published in line with DIT’s transparency commitment.

Department for International Trade: Overseas Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department (a) currently has or (b) has plans for Official Development Assistance-funded programmes other than the Investment Promotion Programme.

Conor Burns: DIT is currently building a portfolio of development programming to drive trade and investment between international business and developing country markets. DIT’s interventions are under design but will link to DIT’s unique competencies in trade and investment. DIT’s development projects will adhere to the word and sprit of the International Development Act and follow the priorities set out in the 2015 Aid Strategy, including maintaining the commitment to keep aid untied.

Import Duties: Databases

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will launch an official market access database to provide information on tariffs by commodity in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Conor Burns: If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Temporary Tariff schedule will apply to UK imports. This policy seeks to balance the impact on consumers from price rises and on producers from exposure to global competition. More information is available on gov.uk. [via: https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff] Separately, DIT is also launching a ‘Market Access Service’, through which businesses can submit reports of trade barriers they face in overseas markets. This reporting service will be made available on great.gov.uk in due course.

Rules of Origin

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department will inform businesses of the rule of origin they need to comply with in order to satisfy international tariff and quota arrangements in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Conor Burns: The Government has already published guidance informing business of steps to take in the event of No Deal. This includes guidance on rules of origin and will be updated as required. For trade with countries where no trade agreement is in place between the UK and those countries, non-preferential rules of origin will apply. For trade with countries where we have a signed trade agreement in place, the rules of origin that apply can be found in the text of the agreements. These are published online, and the full text, Explanatory Memoranda and Parliamentary Reports for these agreements are laid in the libraries of both Houses.

EU External Trade

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to (a) roll-over and (b) replace on a bilateral basis outstanding EU trade agreements in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Conor Burns: To date, the UK has signed or agreed in principle agreements with countries that account for 64% of the UK’s trade with all the countries with which the UK is seeking continuity in the event of a potential No Deal. Work is continuing intensively on remaining agreements. A regularly updated list of agreements signed is available on GOV.UK and alongside a list of remaining agreements: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the value of tourism to Scotch whisky distilleries to the UK economy.

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution to UK tourism of the Scotch whisky industry’s investment in distilleries and visitor centres.

Rebecca Pow: The Scottish Whisky industry is recognised the world over for its high quality and, according to VisitBritain, whisky is the top food and drink item associated with the UK in France, Germany, China and Japan. A recent survey by the Scotch Whisky Association, suggests that 2018 saw a record of more than 2m visitors to distilleries, an increase of more than 50% since 2010. This survey also shows that in 2018 visitor spending increased by more than 12% on 2017’s figures to over £68m. VisitBritain(VB) work to promote the UK as a tourist destination, and have used Scotch whisky to promote Scotland in particular. VB regularly host educational trips which include distilleries across Scotland, host several distilleries at their flagship promotional event ExploreGB and offer Whisky tours through the VB online shop. In addition to this, VB work in partnership with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for International Trade to create food and drink hubs across the UK which encourage visitors to try our produce and commission research into food and drink as a draw for tourists.